Stakeholders’ Meeting in Zemgale Planning Region
The Zemgale Planning Region hosted a significant stakeholders' meeting focused on preserving religious heritage in rural areas, engaging local communities in the process. The event, held at the Zemgale Planning Region office in Jelgava, brought together key figures and experts to discuss current policies and practices.
Dace Strautkalne, Project Manager for the REliHE Project at the Zemgale Planning Region, began the meeting with an overview of the project’s objectives, emphasizing its commitment to safeguarding religious heritage across rural territories. Aiva Apša-Kīšeniece from the Latvian Rural Forum then spoke about the critical role of local community involvement in rural development, highlighting successful strategies for engaging residents in heritage preservation.
Following this, Dr. Līga Paula, Associate Professor at the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU), provided insights into the contributions of local communities to rural development, particularly in the context of maintaining cultural and religious sites. Dr. Paula teaches courses on Rural Community Research, Social Aspects of Sustainable Regional Development, and Research on Communities of Practice. She is the author of the PhD thesis Community Action in Rural Development in Latvia (2016).
Alma Kaurāte from the Ministry of Culture followed with a discussion on the Ministry’s goals and involvement in preserving religious heritage, underscoring its importance as a component of cultural history. Alma Kaurāte serves as the Senior Officer in the Archives, Libraries, and Museums Division, and is the National Coordinator for Latvia's European Heritage Days.
Elvīra Mantrova, Head of the Zemgale Regional Division at the National Cultural Heritage Board, shared examples of best practices and successful experiences in supporting religious heritage preservation. Her presentation offered valuable lessons for similar initiatives. The National Cultural Heritage Board, under the Ministry of Culture, implements national policy in the protection of cultural monuments.
Local representatives from various municipalities also contributed to the discussion:
- Anta Teivāne from Aizkraukle Municipality
- Ilze Tijone from Bauska Municipality
- Laila Šereiko from Dobele Municipality
- Kristīne Korsaka from Jelgava Municipality
- Linda Gricius from Jelgava City Municipality at the Jelgava Regional Tourism Centre
- Laura Trukšāne from Jēkabpils Municipality
They discussed their roles and experiences in managing and preserving local religious heritage.
The future of sacred heritage was addressed by Kārlis Graudiņš from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia and Maksim Kirillov from the Holy Spirit Orthodox Church and Men's Monastery, who explored ongoing and upcoming initiatives related to sacred sites, contributing to a broader discussion on potential solutions and support mechanisms.
The meeting concluded with a summary by Dace Strautkalne and a look at future collaboration opportunities. Sanita Larionova, Project Manager of the CHERRY Project at Zemgale Planning Region, also presented information on the CHERRY Project, highlighting its role in cultural recovery efforts in Europe.
This event was held with the aim of improving policies and strategies for the preservation of religious heritage in rural areas, ensuring that these valuable cultural assets are effectively protected and managed for future generations.